Quantifying variability of avian colours: are signalling traits more variable?

Kaspar Delhey, Anne Peters

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

50 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Increased variability in sexually selected ornaments, a key assumption of evolutionary theory, is thought to be maintained through condition-dependence. Condition-dependent handicap models of sexual selection predict that (a) sexually selected traits show amplified variability compared to equivalent non-sexually selected traits, and since males are usually the sexually selected sex, that (b) males are more variable than females, and (c) sexually dimorphic traits more variable than monomorphic ones. So far these predictions have only been tested for metric traits. Surprisingly, they have not been examined for bright coloration, one of the most prominent sexual traits. This omission stems from computational difficulties: different types of colours are quantified on different scales precluding the use of coefficients of variation.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1 - 10
Number of pages10
JournalPLoS ONE
Volume3
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2008
Externally publishedYes

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